The Worshipful Company of Farriers (WCF) is a Livery Company of the City of London, a private businessmans club. The governing body of the WCF is the Court, an inner circle of a dozen or so members including the Master, three Wardens, a Treasurer, Past Masters, and between five to ten Assistants. Approximately 10% of liverymen are farriers and 10% are veterinary surgeons. The WCF sadly do not have their own hall.
The WCF were instrumental in getting the Farriers Registration Act passed over 25 years ago. Section 1 of the Farriers Registration Act states "The Worshipful Company of Farriers shall have the general function of securing adequate standards of competence and conduct among farriers and shall promote, encourage and advance the art and science of farriery and education in connection with the said art and science." Thus the WCF effectively control farriery and the Farriers Registration Council to this day.
The WCF appoint three members of the FRC one of whom must be the Chairman. A number of other FRC and NAFBAE luminaries are members of the WCF.
The WCF provides an observer on the JFTC and two representatives on the Joint Liaison Committee with the British Horseracing Training Board.
The Court appoints an Examinations Board, a Craft Committee and a Policy Committee.
The Examinations Board has an executive committee which meets four times a year, and the whole panel meets for an annual general meeting. The Examinations Board includes all the examiners - some 20 farriers and 8 veterinary surgeons, mostly Liverymen, plus the Master, the 3 Wardens and the Treasurer of the Company.
The purpose of the Craft Committee is to "keep under review all matters affecting the craft of farriery".
The Policy Committee consists of the chairmen of the Examinations Board, the Craft Committee and the FRC and the Master and the Wardens. It is apparently designed to keep the master and the wardens up to date with the workings of the other committees. The Policy Committee is chaired by the Master
The work of these committees "is not secret, but it seems inappropriate to open them to the general public". Minutes "are recorded for the benefit of members, the Court and the Company, and, again, they are not secret, but are not generally distributed or published." Secret then.
Anyone may apply to join the Company but they run the risk of being "blackballed". It is also quite an expensive club to belong to and limited in numbers to 375. It does not claim to be democratic.
Is it time the WCF handed responsibility over to the Council and let it elect its own chairman? Should they give up one or more seats to elected farriers? Do they have the confidence to let go? The FRC will only become a competent, respected and effective body when it is given full responsibility and the decision making process is seen to be open and accountable.
link to website: The Worshipful Company of Farriers
The Clerk & Registrar: Mrs C.C.Clifford BA(Hon), 19 Queen Street, Chipperfield, Kings Langley, Herts WD4 9BT
Tel: 01923 260747 Fax: 01923 261677 e-mail: theclerk@wcf.org.uk
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